APC by Schneider Electric AR3357B2 48U NetShelter SX Gen 2 Server Rack Enclosure
Overview
The APC NetShelter SX Gen 2 AR3357B2 is a 48U freestanding server rack enclosure built for high-density data center and server room deployments where physical security, structural integrity, and long-term serviceability are non-negotiable. At 750mm wide and 1200mm deep, it provides the extra cable management clearance that 600mm-wide racks simply cannot — a meaningful difference when you're managing dense patch panels, structured cabling runs, and rear-mounted PDUs simultaneously. This is a black finish unit with side panels included from the factory, so it ships ready for floor deployment without sourcing enclosure panels separately.
If you're spec'ing a new rack room or expanding an existing row, the AR3357B2 belongs on your shortlist. The 1200mm depth and adjustable mounting depth range (286mm to 1048mm) means it accommodates everything from shallow patch panels to full-depth blade chassis without adapter rails or custom hardware.
Key Features
- 48U Capacity: Forty-eight rack units in a single enclosure gives you the vertical density to consolidate server, network, and storage equipment in one cabinet rather than spreading across two shorter racks — fewer footprint squares, fewer power circuits, cleaner cable runs.
- 750mm Width: The 750mm form factor adds roughly 150mm of lateral space compared to a standard 600mm rack. In practice, this translates to real room for side-channel cable routing and wider equipment handles, reducing the contortion involved when servicing high-density switch shelves or rear cable bundles.
- 1200mm Depth with Adjustable Mounting Rails: Mounting depth adjusts from 286mm to 1048mm, which covers virtually any rackmount equipment in current production — from 1U patch panels to 1000mm-deep blade enclosures. You won't need extension rail kits for deep servers.
- 1814 kg Static Weight Capacity: The static load rating of 1814 kg (4,000 lbs) means you can fill this rack to realistic density — multiple blade chassis, heavy UPS units, loaded storage arrays — without approaching a structural limit. The rolling capacity is 1020 kg, so fully loaded moves across a raised floor remain feasible with proper casters.
- 270° Door Opening Angle: The front and rear doors swing a full 270°, which means they fold back flat against the side of the cabinet. In tight rows with limited aisle clearance, this eliminates the common problem of a door blocking adjacent rack access during maintenance windows.
- Integrated Key Lock with Side Panel Locks: Both the main door and side panels include key locks, providing physical access control for the enclosure interior and the sides independently. This matters in shared spaces (colocation, IDF closets) where you need to differentiate who can access cable management vs. mounted equipment.
- Adjustable Leveling Feet: Four adjustable feet let you compensate for uneven raised-floor tiles or concrete surfaces without shimming. Combined with the included side panels, the enclosure is field-ready without ordering supplemental hardware.
- Side Panels Included: Shipping with side panels attached means the enclosure arrives as a complete unit — no separate panel order, no gap in the delivery timeline if your rack row needs to be closed for airflow management on day one.
Integration & Compatibility
The AR3357B2 follows the 19-inch (48.3 cm) EIA rack standard, making it compatible with the full range of rackmount equipment — servers, network switches, patch panels, KVM drawers, and PDUs — from any vendor that ships standard 19-inch rack ears. APC's own NetShelter accessory ecosystem (blanking panels, cable managers, PDU brackets, seismic bracing kits) is designed around this enclosure footprint, so expansion accessories are straightforward to source. The 1200mm depth accommodates APC's full-depth PDU lineup along standard vertical PDU mounting channels.
For structured cabling environments, the 750mm width provides enough lateral clearance to run dedicated horizontal cable managers on both front and rear without interfering with equipment mounting positions. Pair with a rack PDU matched to your power circuit capacity and a top-of-rack or in-row cooling strategy appropriate for the equipment density you plan to deploy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the maximum static weight the AR3357B2 can support?
A: The AR3357B2 has a static weight capacity of 1814 kg (approximately 4,000 lbs). When moving the fully loaded rack on casters, the rolling weight limit is 1020 kg.
Q: Does the AR3357B2 ship with side panels included?
A: Yes. Side panels are included with the AR3357B2 from the factory. The enclosure ships as a complete unit ready for floor deployment.
Q: What is the usable mounting depth range in the AR3357B2?
A: The adjustable mounting rails span from 286mm (minimum) to 1048mm (maximum), covering shallow patch panels through full-depth blade enclosures without additional rail extension hardware.
Q: How wide is the door swing on the AR3357B2?
A: The doors open to 270°, meaning they fold flat against the side of the cabinet. This is particularly useful in tight rack rows where standard 180° doors would obstruct adjacent enclosure access during maintenance.
Q: What are the external dimensions of the AR3357B2?
A: The enclosure is 750mm wide, 1200mm deep, and 2258mm tall. Package width is 853mm. It mounts 19-inch (48.3 cm EIA standard) rackmount equipment.
Q: Does the AR3357B2 include locking side panels?
A: Yes. Both the main door and the side panels have independent key locks, allowing access control to the enclosure interior and the cable management sides to be managed separately.
The AR3357B2 is the enclosure I recommend when a project calls for 48U density and the integrator doesn't want to revisit the rack selection six months later because the rails won't accommodate a late-added blade chassis. The 1048mm maximum mounting depth is the spec that matters most here — very few racks in this class handle that range without an extension kit purchase.
Technical Highlights:
- 1814 kg Static Capacity: At 4,000 lbs static, you can populate this rack with multiple loaded blade enclosures, a full-depth UPS, and high-density storage without any concern about structural limits — most realistic high-density builds top out well below this threshold.
- 286–1048mm Adjustable Rail Depth: This range eliminates the need to pre-plan equipment depth at procurement time. You can mix 1U patch panels at the front with 1000mm-deep server chassis in the same cabinet without spacer kits or secondary rail hardware.
- 270° Door Swing: In a two-post aisle layout with 900mm hot-aisle clearance, a door that folds flat against the cabinet side is the difference between one-person maintenance and a two-person operation to hold the door out of the way.
Deployment Considerations:
- The 750mm width adds footprint cost compared to a 600mm alternative — confirm your raised floor tile grid accommodates this before finalizing row layout, particularly in existing facilities where rows were originally spec'd for 600mm racks.
- Rolling capacity drops to 1020 kg when moving on casters, which is meaningful if you intend to fully populate the rack before final positioning. Stage heavy equipment after the enclosure is in its permanent location, not before.
This enclosure is a strong fit for enterprise IDF/MDF consolidation projects and purpose-built server rooms where the equipment mix is diverse, the depth range is unpredictable, and physical security of the enclosure sides is a site requirement — not an afterthought.
